WASHINGTON - In the sci-fi thriller "Ex Machina," the wonders and dangers of artificial intelligence are embodied in a beautiful, cunning android named Ava. She puts her electronic smarts to work with frightening results, manipulating and outwitting her human handlers.

FRANKFORT, Kentucky - The Buffalo Trace distillery has a new warehouse that uses robotics for an automated storage and retrieval system. It is thought to be the first distillery in the state to use the technology, which was part of a $20 million investment.

SASEBO, Japan - The English-speaking receptionist is a vicious-looking dinosaur, and the one speaking Japanese is a female humanoid with blinking lashes. "If you want to check in, push one," the dinosaur says. The visitor still has to punch a button on the desk, and type in information on a touch panel screen.

SASEBO, Japan - From the receptionist that does the check-in and check-out to the porter that's an automated trolley taking luggage up to the room, this hotel in southwestern Japan, aptly called Weird Hotel, is "manned" almost totally by robots to save labor costs.

TOKYO - I'm Japanese and so I'm a sucker for cute things, like manga, quirky figurines and mascot characters. And Pepper, the new companion robot from Tokyo-based technology company Softbank Corp., delivers cuteness like you've never seen.